Who would have guessed?
by silentowl08
Summary: SPOILER ALERT! Contains spoilers from most of the first season. What goes through Ian's mind after he discovers Mickey Milkovich's secret? And how does he feel? Could it possibly be... love?
1. Daydreams

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shameless.

Rating: M for sexual references (plus possible future smut) and language.

Recently became slightly addicted to the US version of the show, and was tempted to write something.

SPOILER ALERT!: This story involves events That begin in the seventh episode of the first season. It may follow the shows storyline partially but I may and probably will make my own interpretations of things. Just be warned.

AKA, don't read if you plan on watching the show and don't want to have things spoiled. Also, don't assume that everything (or anything) I put down is canon.

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

_Ian walked in and lo and behold Mickey was out cold on his bed. He had come over here with the intention of sneaking up on Mickey and forcing him to give him back the gun via the threat of the tire iron he held in his hands. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he would come across Mickey passed out on his bed._

_Ian made his way over to Mickey and poked him a few times with the tire iron to wake him up. As Mickey got up he asked "What the fuck?"_

_Ian quickly stated "I want the gun back Mickey" as he brandished the tire iron to show Mickey who was in control of the situation._

"_Gallagher?" Mickey asked as his eyes finally focused enough on the person before him and his brain finally processed the information. Ian could see confusion and a fair bit of surprise cross the other boy's features as he took in the situation. Before Mickey could try and do something or wake up more Ian forcefully said "The gun."_

_Mickey waved him off a little and said "Alright" as he reached towards his nightstand by his bed. Ian then did something that he would later describe as one of the most moronic moments of his life. He leaned in closer to Mickey and lowered his weapon. The next thing he knew Mickey had him pinned on the bed and he was swinging the tire iron in an attempt to hit Mickey. The best he could do however was hit the wall a few times before the tire iron was wrenched from his hands. The next minute or so consisted of Mickey and him throwing each other around the room in an attempt to overpower the other and regain control._

_As their bodies collided over and over Ian couldn't help but notice the wiry strength of Mickey's body. With each grapple Ian was able to feel just a bit more of the other boy's body and each time a little jolt of lightning shot down his spine. By the time Mickey took control by pinning Ian to the bed and holding the tire iron over Ian both boys were sweating profusely, and had anyone looked, highly aroused._

_Ian wasn't shocked that he had tented his pants. A hot boy had him pinned to a bed and had his crotch in Ian's face. What DID surprise him though was the look of lust on Ian's face and the object that appeared to be pulsating within Mickey's pants. If Ian didn't know better, he'd swear that Mickey was just as turned on by this as he was. This was proven to be true when the tire iron slipped from Mickey's hands and was quickly joined on the floor by his shirt._

_At this point lust overcame both boys' reason and they quickly helped strip each other down to their birthday suits. Ian only began comprehending again as he slowly brought his-_

"KASH!"

Ian flinched as Linda's piercing yell tore through the memory replaying itself in his head and brought him back to the present. He had been stocking shelves when he had begun remembering what had happened the other day. It was by far the more pleasant memory of the day, considering the only other thing of note had been his affair with Kash being found out by his wife Linda. Oddly enough she hadn't fired him on the spot or tried to castrate him for doing her husband. Instead she had just seemed resigned to the fact that her husband had other interests and that she couldn't change what he was. She had punched Ian, but considering the situation he had gotten off easy.

As Ian's mind refocused onto the here and now he saw Linda stalking towards him with a highly annoyed look on her face. When she was standing right in front of she said with a hint of suppressed rage "Where the hell is my husband? The two of you had better not have been screwing. I'm not pregnant yet so no fucking for you two. He has to save it for me."

Just from the look on her face Ian knew that he had better tell her the exact truth and then avoid any aftermath. He mentally went through what had been happening before his sexy daydream and responded with "I think stepped out back to grab something from the truck."

Linda peered into his eyes as if to check to see if he was lying and for a few moments made Ian wish he could crawl into a hole and hide. He could almost feel the accusations that where running through her head and wouldn't be surprised if she started ranting about him having fucked her husband. As the seconds ticked on however a bit of her anger seemed to leak out and for a second Ian thought he saw a dejected look in her eyes. It vanished as quickly as it appeared and was replaced by the usual touch of contained hostility. She waved at Ian to indicate he should keep working and briskly walked away without saying another word to Ian.

The truth was Ian didn't know where Kash had slipped off to. Relations between them had become stressed due to Linda finding out and from the fact that Ian himself was pulling back a bit. Ever since Mickey and him had slept together everything just felt, well, weird. Kash had been his first real boyfriend but at the same time he was a closeted man with a wife and kids. Somewhere deep down inside Ian had known it wouldn't work out even as he tried to get as much enjoyment out of it as he could. He had cared for Kash, but now it felt like a book in which had finished reading. It would always be there in his memories but it was finished.

As far as Ian knew Kash was still unaware of the fact that Mickey and he had been fucking. Even when Mickey came to the store Ian had made sure Kash would be gone for a while before drawing the other boy into the back and fucking his brains out. Despite these precautions though Ian knew that Kash could sense that something was up. Ian had been withdrawing from his former lover and was putting up emotional walls. Where once had been something akin to love was now something more professional spiced with a hint of shame. Shame from sleeping with a married man and then shame from having cheated on said married man with his worst tormentor. Ian knew that this was probably setting him up for a karmic style disaster but he just couldn't help himself. He was falling for Mickey but couldn't bring himself to finish off the tatters of his relationship with Kash.

Ian wished he could talk to someone about all of this, but who was there? Fiona was stretched to the limit with trying to take care of all of her 'kids', Lip was busy with Karen and probably would be stunned at the thought of the punk Mickey Milkovich being gay and therefore unable to offer advice, Mandy would kill him for sleeping with her brother despite them only dating as a cover and Frank, well, was Frank. Plus, only Lip and Mandy knew he was gay so what the hell was Ian to do? A large part of him wanted to tell Fiona and beg her for advice but he knew that it would be just one more thing to lay on her and Ian doubted she could take much more. His personal issues could be that last snowflake that sets off an avalanche and while he and Lip might be able to cope with Fiona losing it a bit the three youngest would be screwed.

While the majority of his brain was wrapped up in these thoughts the rest of him became aware of two people arguing in what they probably thought were whispers. As the whispers began to increase in volume and intensity Ian became aware that the owners' were Kash and Linda. From what he could make out the two were having quite the argument and the last thing he wanted to do was get involved. As such, he almost let out a sigh of relief when he heard Linda say "Ian, just go home. It's almost closing time and my good for nothing husband should be able to handle it."

Ian didn't wait to be told twice and high tailed it out of there as Linda turned her attention back onto Kash. He risked a glance back at them as he left to see that Linda had cornered Kash and was ranting at him. Kash gave him a pleading look and for a second Ian felt a tug on his heart and almost stayed behind. For a moment he truly considered staying. Some part of him knew that this was the defining moment of what was left of their relationship. If Ian stayed now he could salvage what was left of his love for Kash and stay with him and put Mickey behind him. If he did that though it would probably mean the end of Kash and Linda's marriage and the end of any shred of Linda's dignity. Kash's would soon follow and then Ian himself would be dragged down into the dark abyss of what had once been a marriage. Seeing that play through his head nudged him in the direction he thought he should take.

Ian looked for one second more at Kash's pleading face, shook his head slightly, and walked out of the store.

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><p>Author's note(s): Wow, haven't done this in forever and am probably a bit out of practice. Hope you guys enjoy reading and yes, I will keep writing this for a bit. Just sort of testing the waters with this first chapter.<p> 


	2. Karmic Retribution

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shameless.

Rating: M for sexual references (plus possible future smut) and language.

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Ian kept his hands shoved into the pockets of hit coat as he walked home. The cold Chicago air had a bit of a bite to it tonight and Ian wanted nothing more than to be home in bed bundled up under a couple of blankets. A particularly bitter blast of cold air drove this home to him as he felt the chill seep into his body. Ian shook himself slightly to try and dispel the cold and trudged on.

A few cars passed him on his way back and as always Ian ignored them. At least, he did until he heard the squeal of brakes sounding from behind him. Without even taking a second to think about what was happening Ian jumped into a small alleyway between buildings just as something large and fast passed by behind him. He hit the ground hard and felt a sharp pain shoot from his right ankle as he lay there. After a few seconds in which he used to catch his breath Ian pushed himself up into a sitting position and glanced over at where he had been just before what had to have been a car almost hit him. Skid marks were just barely visible on the ground and from the look of things the car had come more than close enough to have smashed into him and leave very little of him unbroken.

Ian fumed there for a few seconds as several unkind thoughts ran through his mind, as well as a few images of what could have happened to him had he been unable to jump into the relative safety of the alleyway. As the adrenaline coursing through his system began to wind down Ian focused on getting back up and continuing on home. Unfortunately for him the universe decided that his karmic retribution was just beginning. The moment he put any weight on his right foot pain shot through his body.

Ian used the walls of the alley to keep him standing as he took his weight off his right foot. From the feel of it he thought his ankle was just suffering from a bad sprain but he couldn't be sure. Regardless, walking home would be extremely painful and it would be interesting to see if he could get there on his own before Fiona had a heart attack wondering where the hell he was.

Ian slowly made his way out of the alley using the walls to help brace himself and keep from falling over each time he put even the tiniest amount of weight on his right foot. He kept telling himself that he'd been through worse and he could definitely last till he got home. Once there Veronica would probably be called over, she'd do a few things and then tell him to keep ice on it. Ice seemed to play a big part in her ministrations. It did work, but it was just so dam cold.

Ian focused on thoughts of home and slowly made progress on getting home. Each step though sent a new shot of agony through his body and stole the breath from his lungs. Tears stung his cheeks and it was all he could do to keep breathing without letting out a whimper. Deep down he knew that if he somehow did manage to get home he'd probably collapse and wouldn't have the strength left to tell anyone what had happened. Knowing his luck Frank would probably be home early from the Alibi or would be cruising for some leftover money and would most likely ignore him or start ranting about medical care or some shit like that. Frank was always spouting out nonsense and acting like a victim and Ian just would not be able to handle that tonight.

Ian came to the end of the block and paused to peer at the intersection he was at. To get home he'd have to cross the street. A Street in which there was nothing for him to hold onto and that had a penchant for crazy drivers blowing through stoplights and that had already had three accidents this year. Had his ankle of been fine Ian would have done what he had always done. Glance towards each direction for a second and then make his way across, trusting on his ears and reflexes to get him to the other side without becoming a statistic about accidents involving distracted drivers. Tonight however Ian knew he was screwed. Despite there being no cars anywhere around he knew that one way or another someone would round a corner like they were in NASCAR and turn him into the latest mysterious stain on the road.

All of this ran through Ian's head when a voice like an angel cut through his pain laden thoughts. "Ian? Is that you? Why the hell are you standing there like you've tried to go drink for drink with your dad?"

Ian twisted his head around to look at his guardian angel. Mandy Milkovich stood there staring at him with a perplexed look on her face. Ian had never been happier to see his 'girlfriend'. He quickly gasped out "I think I twisted my" *gasp* "…ankle"

Mandy's perplexed look immediately transformed into one of understanding and then sympathy at Ian's statement. She rushed over to Ian and got under his right arm to take the weight off his obviously injured ankle. Between the two of them Ian was able to cross the street but it had become apparent that he would not be able to make it home. His ankle was pulsating with agony at this point and Ian was out of strength.

"Mandy, we're close to your place. Think I could crash there tonight? Either that or chop off my leg." Ian breathlessly whispered as the slowly made their way down the street.

Mandy took a few seconds to think about it and then responded with "I guess. But you won't be able to sleep on the couch in the living room. Dad's probably passed out there. Mickey's out though and not supposed to be back tonight so you can probably crash on his. And don't worry about your family. I'll get you home and then let them know what happened."

Ian let out a sigh of relief at these words and found just enough strength left within himself to pick up the pace. In no time at all the staggering duo came upon the Milkovich house. Mandy seemed to be a miniature whirlwind as soon as they got inside and before long Ian was stretched out on Mickey's couch with a cold bag of peas on his enflamed ankle. Mandy had tossed a blanket and pillow at him before she bolted out of the house to head towards the Gallagher residence to let Fiona know what had happened.

With a pillow under his head and the pain from his ankle reduced to a dull ache Ian felt his eyelids growing heavy and the next thing he knew he was asleep. He vaguely remembered Mandy coming back in and checking on him. He heard some mumbled words and for a second thought he saw Lip standing there with her but exhaustion overcame him again and he drifted back towards sleep. Just as his consciousness fled he had a weird feeling that he had just been kissed but it could have just been his imagination.

_Ian walked down the street, basking in the bright springtime sun. The heart seemed to seep into every single one of his pores and made him doubly grateful that winter had ended. The fact that he was heading over to the Milkovich's to see Mickey as opposed to just Mandy just made the day all the more better._

_Coming up to the house he could see a face in the window and wasn't the least surprised that it belonged to Mickey. He hadn't seen him in over a year and he hoped that his boyfriend was just as excited about this meeting as he was. Ian bounded up the steps just as the door opened and Mandy burst out of it. Her arms wrapped around him in a vice-like grip as she yelled "You're back! It's about time Ian."_

_Ian hugged her back but his eyes were focused on a figure behind her. Standing there partially shaded in the low lighting inside the house was the man he had been coming to see. Mickey looked a little older but less punkish. A familiar smirk was gracing his face and he stood with his arms crossed with a 'what are you waiting for?' look in his eyes._

_Ian slipped out of Mandy's arms and marched up to Mickey. His boyfriend looked him up and down, taking in the military fatigues with a growing smile. Mickey leaned in close enough for Ian to feel his breath but refrained from saying anything. Ian felt the corners of his mouth curling upwards as a smile formed and wrapped his arms around Mickey. He brought his mouth over to Mickey's ear and whispered "I missed you."_

_Ian could sense more than see Mickey's growing grin as he replied with _"What the fuck?"

_Ian drew back, surprised and not without a little pain. He stared at his boyfriend and wondered what had brought on that comment. He slowly asked "Mickey, what's wrong?"_

_Mickey just looked back and shouted _"Gallagher?"

"Gallagher."

"GALLAGHER!"

With this third call of his name Ian burst out of his dream and sat up quickly which almost caused a collision involving his forehead and Mickey's nose. Mickey for his part had at least moved out of the way but for some reason kept going and landed on his backside. Ian just sat there completely confused for a second, not quite contemplating what was going on.

At this point his senses began filling him in on several important details, namely that the sun had just begun rising and that Mickey smelled like Frank when he'd had a relatively clean night. This of course meant that Mickey merely smelled like booze as opposed to less desirable things. Ian stared down at the intoxicated boy and tried to come up with something to say.

Mickey, once he had gotten over the shock of Ian bolting upright, had sat there cursing softly as Ian's brain attempted to process things. He had just gotten back from a party and had been surprised to see someone camped out on his couch. For a second he had thought that it was his father but then realized the frame of the person was far too small to be his father. It had taken him a little while to figure out that he might as well look at the face and had only then realized it was none other than Ian Gallagher.

In his infinite drunken wisdom Mickey had decided to wake up Ian and ask him what the fuck was going on. This led to his attempt to awaken the slumbering lad and ended up with him on his ass. He glared up at the younger boy and decided to teach him a lesson. He stumbled up onto his feet and tackled Ian. Mickey heard Ian emit a gasp of surprise and pain as Mickey pinned him to the couch. Mickey quickly covered up Ian's mouth and snarled out "What the hell are you doing here Gallagher?"

Ian didn't struggle as Mickey held him down for three reasons. The first was that struggling would hurt like hell with his ankle messed up the way it was and the second was that he knew it wouldn't matter even if he tried to escape. The last reason he didn't struggle was because he didn't mind having Mickey on top of him. The way Mickey was positioned had brought his jean clad ass down on Ian's crotch and this was a position Ian had no intention of complaining about. In fact, Ian felt himself growing aroused from the pressure Mickey was exerting in keeping him down.

As his arousal became more evident Ian couldn't help but squirm a little bit, as his tight pants really didn't allow for a rapidly growing penis. Of course when Ian did this Mickey could not help but realize exactly what was rubbing up against his ass. The older boy smirked a little bit and in a slurry whisper said "Couldn't wait for another round, could you?"

Ian could smell the alcohol on Mickey's breath and it did ruin the mood for him a tad. A large part of him wanted nothing more than to rip the clothes off Mickey and then fuck him for hours but there was no way that was going to happen tonight. Plus he could already see Mickey's eyelids closing slowly. As much as both boys wanted to strip naked and screw it was just not going to happen.

Mickey finally seemed to realize that his hand was still clamped over Ian's mouth as he suddenly jerked it back to give the younger boy the opportunity to respond. Ian took the chance to say "Always. But I think now isn't the best time."

Mickey gave Ian a peculiar look in response to this statement but didn't say anything right away. Instead he reached down in between their bodies and grabbed Ian's dick through his pants. Ian drew in a sharp breath and closed his eyes as he felt the additional pressure on his most sensitive organ and almost came right then and there. He moaned as Mickey squeezed a few times and begged him to keep going. However, instead of continuing the sensations stopped. Ian's eyes snapped open as the pressure on his chest abruptly vanished to see Mickey running towards the bathroom.

As he heard the sound of Mickey retching in the bathroom, followed by several telltale splashes Ian realized what had happened. He lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, his dick still hard as ever in his pants. He had purposefully said he didn't want to do this specifically because he knew Mickey would probably end up vomiting. And Mickey had.

Ian took one last look towards the bathroom and muttered "Fuck me."

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><p>Authors Note: Second chapter and it is becoming quite fun for me. Yes, I understand I may be teasing some of you with what is almost happening but it'll happen. At some point. As always, reviews are appreciated.<p> 


	3. Fun at Work

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shameless.

Rating: M for sexual references (plus possible future smut) and language.

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

The next morning Ian woke up to someone gently nudging him. As his eyes opened he became aware of two things. Mandy was attempting to awaken him and Mickey was still passed out in his bed. Last night, or rather early that morning Mickey had rushed to the bathroom before the two of them could have had some 'fun' and had gone back to his bed instead of trying to get with Ian. Ian was glad about this because he didn't particularly care to have sex with Mickey while the older boy was trashed out of his mind.

Ian still wished that Mickey had been more sober last night but there was nothing he could do about it. Also from the look on Mandy's face he knew he had better get up. Luckily it was a Saturday so he didn't have to worry about school but he would have to get to work at some point. After last night when Ian had left Kash alone to suffer the wrath of Linda he knew that Kash was very unlikely to cut him any slack.

As Mandy continued to shake him in an attempt to waken him Ian waved her off and muttered "I'm awake. I'm awake. What's the rush?"

Mandy quickly whispered "It's almost noon. My dad has already gone off about you and Mickey sleeping in the same room. He's really starting to freak out and I can't keep him calm for much longer. I think he might be on something so if you value your life it's time to move on. How is your ankle?"

Ian answered the question by sitting up and swinging his legs over. He gingerly placed his feet on the ground and stood up. His ankle flared up for a second but soon faded to a dull pain. As long as he didn't do any running and nursed it for a few days Ian knew he'd be fine. He stood up carefully though just in case. Falling down in front of Mandy, while amusing for her, was not high on his list of things he really wanted to do.

The two of them quietly slipped out of Mickey's room to not wake the most likely hung over boy. As he came to the front door Mandy grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. After a moment she said "You know you can stay over whenever you want. I know things are a little crazy over at your place and you'd probably like to have a night or two away from it all."

Ian uncomfortably hugged back and was afraid of where Mandy was going with the conversation. He might not understand women that well but as far as he could tell Mandy still carried a bit of a flame for him. He had thought that was all in the past but apparently Mandy wasn't on the same page as him. He did like Mandy but there was no chance in hell that he would ever get together with her in the biblical sense. Besides, Ian was fucking her brother.

As the seconds dragged on and flirted with the idea of becoming a whole minute Ian awkwardly said "Yeah, maybe I'll crash here again sometime."

Mandy smiled in response to the partial promise and hugged him tighter for a second. She began drawing away and as soon as Ian thought he was scot-free she lunged forward and planted a kiss on his lips. Ian stood there shocked as she drew back and said "See you soon Ian."

Ian walked out of the Milkovich house in a bit of a daze. Mandy had kissed him before but this most recent kiss had intensity to it that he hadn't sensed before. Any straight boy his age would at the least considered the opportunity that was presented if not gone after it like a dog in heat. The only thing Ian felt was a bit of awkwardness and a fair dose of despair. If Mandy still had the hotts for him it could make it very difficult for him to see Mickey without setting off the powder keg that was the Milkovich house. If Mandy ever found out Ian doubted she'd be quiet about it and he was sure Mr. Milkovich would either throw Mickey out or do things that would get him twenty to life in a very unpleasant prison.

Ian continued to think along these lines as he walked home. He really didn't know what to make of it all but one thing continued to pop up no matter how he tried to rationalize it away. He had to truly set the record straight with Mandy. He acknowledged the pun that was ingrained with that statement as he walked up to the front door of his home. The instant the door opened the chaos of the Gallagher household exploded outward to include him. He could see Carl running around with god knew what in his hands, Debbie carrying her baby doll and watching Liam to make sure he didn't choke on anything and from where he was standing he could hear Lip and Fiona arguing about something. Frank was nowhere to be seen, big surprise there, and from the car parked out front Steve must be somewhere.

Ian walked in and as he was closing the door Carl ran by and stated "Spent the night with a girl, huh?"

Ian could tell it was a rhetorical question and watched as his second to youngest brother bolted up the stairs with what he could now identify as a partially melted action figure on a paper plate. It was probably the third one he had melted in the past week, although Ian wasn't quite sure where he kept getting them.

At this point Fiona became aware of the fact that Ian was home and called out "IAN! Get over here!"

Ian sighed softly to himself but walked right over to Fiona, wincing slightly as his ankle reminded him that it was still attempting mutiny despite having lost the first battle. As he approached his two eldest siblings Lip smirked and said "So, spent the night with a girl eh? Must have been fun."

Ian heard the sarcasm in his brother's voice and wondered what Fiona would take from that statement. As far as he knew Fiona did not have a clue about Ian being gay but if Lip kept up like that it would become obvious no matter how busy Fiona was. While he believed Fiona wouldn't care that much he just wasn't willing to take the risk. If she freaked out Ian would be screwed. He would have nowhere to go and almost nobody to go to for help. It was for these reasons he kept quiet although he could see a point looming in the future where he would have no choice but to come out to his family. At the moment though he had other things to be concerned about so he pushed the thoughts of him coming out to the back of his mind and focused in on whatever Fiona had to say.

Fiona was staring at him with an expression that Ian couldn't quite place. It appeared to be a mixture of suspicion, disappointment and confusion. She stood there for a moment gazing at him before saying "You better not have been up to anything bad last night Ian. And I hope you know enough to use protection when you have sex."

Ian felt his face flush slightly at this statement and quickly stammered out "Don't worry Fiona. I'm not going to get any girls pregnant anytime soon."

Fiona's gaze sharpened for a second and she continued to focus her gaze upon him. She appeared to be on the verge of saying something when Carl walked in with yet another action figure and headed straight for the toaster that had been borrowed yet again from Veronica and Kevin. Fiona snatched Carl's arm without taking her gaze off of Ian and said "We'll talk later. Now as for you Carl…"

Ian watched as Fiona walked away with Carl in hand and silently thanked his little brother for his occasional sociopathic outbursts. It did tend to draw attention from everyone else and served as a convenient smokescreen to a number of things that happened around the house that Fiona was better off being blissfully unaware about. As Fiona trailed out of view Lip asked "So, Linda visit her parents or something? I mean, you wouldn't have actually spent the night at the Milkovich's, right?"

Ian playfully punched his older brother in the shoulder and said "I twisted my ankle and Mandy offered to help."

Lip couldn't help but shoot back with "Oh yeah. I'm sure she would LOVE to give you some 'help'. And I am just as sure that that 'help' would end with her being even more disappointed about you than she is now."

Ian glared at his older brother, and wished he could wipe that shit eating grin off of Lip's face through sheer force of will. He settled for simply saying "Isn't there some dumb jock you need to pretend to be to take some SATs?"

Lip laughed and merely said "There will always be dump jocks looking for me to help them out. Though I could probably say the same thing about you."

This time Ian threw a punch at Lip that was a bit more than simply playful, but Lip was already getting out of the way before Ian even had time to make a fist, never mind throw the punch. As his older brother scampered away Ian thought back to Mandy's offer and admitted that it was a bit more attractive now than it was at the time. At the very least sleeping at the Milkovich's had the option of him slipping into Mickey's room and getting laid. Just the thought of it caused his dick to stir in his pants, which also reminded him that he needed to piss. It also reminded him that he had also shower and change into clean clothing so he could race to the Kash & Grab and see if he still had a job.

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><p>Mickey groaned as his pounding head alerted him to the fact that drinking heavily on a nearly empty stomach was a bad idea. He slowly stretched and pushed himself up, yawning as he did so. As he opened his eyes to take in the room he became aware of two things. One, the couch looked like someone had slept there and two, his mouth tasted like vomit. Barely decipherable memories of last night supplied the answer to the mystery person and the taste explained why he didn't remember getting fucked last night. Ian might like to screw but Mickey didn't blame him for opting out of screwing a guy who was likely to vomit at the first thrust in.<p>

Mickey began rubbing the sleep out of his eyes just as he heard his father say "about time that kid left. The two of you sleeping in the same room is way too gay."

Mickey smirked slightly at this comment for Ian and he had done far more than just sleep in the same room together. His father had almost caught the two of them fucking and in fact had his father entered roughly five minutes earlier he would have caught Ian fucking Mickey with a passion that even now was sending a shot of lust coursing through his body. Still, he had no desire for his father to catch him doing anything gay. Mickey was well aware of the fact that he was gay, craved dick like no other, and was a confirmed bottom. He just liked to keep up the fiction that he was a tough straight punk. Keeping up the act kept him in the good graces of the many people of questionable nature that lived around him.

Mr. Milkovich, upon realizing that his son was ignoring him, snorted and headed for the bathroom. The sound of him urinating soon filled the room and Mickey yet again cursed the fact that his room was a necessary path to the bathroom. It had put him in very difficult positions in the past, not counting the time he and Ian had almost been caught fucking. Mandy had almost caught Mickey getting blown before, by guys and girls, and almost had discovered an even bigger secret than his sexuality. That secret would remain deeply buried and would only surface when Mickey knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was alone and would not be caught.

Mickey waited till his father left for the living room before tossing the sheets off of himself and going to the bathroom. He had a serious case of morning wood and he intended on taking care of it before cleaning up and getting ready for the day. As he shut the bathroom door though another thought came to him. Why should he take care of it himself when there was a sexy red head willing to fuck him within an inch of his life? Mickey's smile grew as his thought became a full blown fantasy and convinced him that he needed to go 'shopping' as soon as he could.

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><p>Ian flipped through a magazine as he waited for Kash to get back. The older man had vanished shortly after Ian had gotten to work without a word other than a command to watch the register. Ian wasn't quite sure what to make of it but simply did as he was told and hoped that nothing was going to happen that would affect his employment. So far things looked good and if he could just keep Kash from coming back and going into some sort of speech about how they should salvage their relationship Ian thought that he could have a good day with no major problems. This belief fell apart the instant that the door opened and Mickey walked in.<p>

Ian couldn't help but stare for a moment as he took in Mickey. The older buy was wearing tight jeans that showed off his ass quite well and as he unzipped his coat he gave Ian a prime view of his pecs. Ian could feel himself growing hard already and just cocked his head over towards the back room where they had fucked a couple times. Mickey just smirked and headed back there after he locked the door and flipped the sign to CLOSED.

Once they were alone in the back both boys began stripping. Ian almost ripped his shirt in his haste to get it off and his pants quickly fell to the floor. Mickey for his part had simply lowered his pants a little and was already bracing himself against a metal rack. As Ian saw Mickey begin spreading his legs ever so slightly he lunged forward and buried himself to the hilt. Normally he'd lube up Mickey at least a little but right now he knew both of them just wanted to get off. Mickey moaned in response to Ian's penetration but didn't resist or complain. In fact he pushed back against Ian as if to get more of Ian's dick inside him. Ian held Mickey tightly and was just beginning to lean in to Kiss him when Mickey muttered "Try it. Tongue cut out. Just fuck me."

Instead of being hurt by this comment Ian felt a familiar heat pass through his body. He didn't treat this statement as anything other than a sign of affection. Someday he would lock lips with Mickey, and he knew that day would be quite something. For now though he would just have to content himself to fuck Mickey's brains out.

Ian drew back until only the tip of his dick was still inside Mickey and then shoved himself back in. He continued to thrust rapidly as he felt his orgasm begin to build. From the moans Mickey was making he was well on his way to his own orgasm. Ian let his hands explore all over as he continued to fuck Mickey and soon they were latched onto the older boy's nipples. Ian pinched tightly and twisted just enough to elicit the loudest moan so far from Mickey. This proved to be the tipping point as he soon heard Mickey gasp out "Oh shit. Oh fuck. SHIT!"

With that last word Mickey gave himself over to his orgasm, blasting all over the inside of his underwear. Ian soon followed as Mickey's ass was doing the most delightful things to his cock as Mickey came. In no time at all Ian was filling Mickey up with shot after shot of his teenage cum. They stayed together like that for a moment, both basking in the after sex glow. Eventually though Ian was forced to say "As much as I love this we kinda need to clean up or else Kash might find us."

This reminder quickly got Mickey in gear and they quickly cleaned up and got dressed. Ian tried one more time to give Mickey a kiss but the other boy waved it off and said "Later." As he more or less rushed out of the store. Ian was hurt for a moment but then sighed and headed back to the register. He really wanted to get Mickey to be more comfortable being gay but it would take time and patience. It would be annoying but Ian would do whatever he had to do to win Mickey.


	4. Mommy Issues

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shameless.

Rating: M for sexual references (plus possible future smut) and language.

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

Ian sighed with content as he shut the door to the Kash & Grab behind him. The last week had been hell on earth for him. Ever since Linda and Kash had had that fight Ian had felt caught in the middle between them. Kash, despite being hurt that Ian had abandoned him had looked for comfort from his former boyfriend while Linda expected Ian to keep a professional attitude and just work at the store without making waves. From what Ian had been able to piece together Linda had been able to conceive a child but now was throwing Kash's previous indiscretions in his face as though to guilt him into celibacy. From what he could see, Linda's plan was working.

Ian had resisted all of Kash's attempts to get back together and his former boyfriend was finally taking the hint. He had tried to do it as gently as he could but eventually the issue was forced today when Kash corned him and Ian had to forcefully say "No." Kash had become very quiet ever since then, though Ian had noticed the older man giving him covert glances whenever he thought Ian wasn't watching. It had given Ian a very odd feeling and he was not at all sad to be on his way home.

Ian wrapped his arms around himself as he started walking home in order to ward off the brisk air. Winter was clinging onto Chicago with a death grip and was not showing any signs of letting up anytime soon. As he walked Ian lamented on the fact that he and Mickey hadn't been able to hook up since Saturday. Ian was horny as hell and was seriously considering slipping out and meeting up with his not quite boyfriend. Already he could feel himself growing hard in his tight jeans and had to readjust himself slightly in order to keep himself in a semblance of comfort. Sometimes he wondered if he should just get jeans that were a little looser to accommodate his above average endowment. Or at least, he considered it until the point where he remembered he loved the way his ass looked in the tight jeans and decided a little discomfort was worth it.

Ian smiled faintly as he saw the familiar sight of his front door and was as happy as he could be as he approached it. This feeling of contentment stayed with him right up until he opened the front door and saw the last person he ever wanted to see standing in the living room with the Gallagher household surrounding her. Ian stopped dead in his tracks and in a shocked voice choked out one word. "Monica."

* * *

><p>Mickey was laying on his stomach staring down at his private notebook when a sound alerted him to the fact that someone else was home. He quickly slammed the notebook shut and hid it between his bed and the wall and flipped over onto his back just as his dad burst through the door smelling like the floor of a bar. Mr. Milkovich didn't even seem to notice his son as he staggered into the bathroom.<p>

Mickey heard his father fumble with his zipper for a second and then a loud and forceful stream of urine could be heard shooting into the toilet. Or at least Mickey hoped it was the toilet. He refused to clean up after his father in principle, but occasionally he had to do it regardless just so that he could use the bathroom without stepping in substances he'd rather not think about.

As his father was finishing up his bathroom break Mickey checked to make sure his notebook was hidden as best as it could be considering the circumstances. Normally he hid it under a loose panel he had found in the floor of his room but right now he didn't have the opportunity to put it back there without being noticed. The last thing Mickey wanted was his father even getting a glimpse of the seemingly nondescript black notebook as it contained some of his most private secrets. Mandy had almost caught him hiding it a time or two and it had taught him to NEVER take the notebook out unless he was sure he was alone. Now that his father was out of jail though he was finding that he had far less guarantee concerning having the house to himself for any specific length of time.

As Mr. Milkovich exited the bathroom in his usual drunken stumbling gait Mickey assumed that he was in the clear. His father would leave and then he'd have a chance to hide his little black book and would be safe for another day. Mickey watched as his father stumbled out of the room and as soon as he felt it was clear Mickey stood up to go close his door. He quietly shut it and as soon as he heard the telltale click letting him know the door was securely closed he flew back over to his bed. Mickey grabbed the notebook and in seconds was down on his knees putting his greatest secret back in its' hiding place.

Once the loose floorboard was back in place Mickey breathed a sigh of relief and felt the stress oozing out of his body. Today had been another close call, one that had been far too close for comfort. He knew he needed to do something about the situation, but he wasn't sure what. This was bigger than the fact that he preferred men. It was the biggest secret he had, and he wasn't sure how anyone would react. Ian was the only person he had even considered telling but his fuck buddy was not someone he would really want to discuss this with.

With a sigh Mickey collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling as sleep slowly descended upon him.

* * *

><p>Ian stared at the ceiling over his head and pondered what had just happened. Monica was back in his life. She had high tailed it out of their lives almost two years ago and then suddenly she is back? And she wanted to take Liam. Ian wished that she had just stayed away. There were far too many emotions involved for Ian to even begin to understand what he felt about her. She was his freaking mother and she had abandoned him. No, not just him. She had abandoned them all.<p>

Ian rolled over onto his side and thought back to the fight that had happened earlier. Fiona had been freaking out at their mother, telling Monica that she had no right to waltz back into their lives and take Liam. Had Fiona's eyes been laser beams Monica would have been reduced to a pile of ash. It didn't help that Monica's girlfriend, if that beast of a woman could be considered female, kept butting in and talking about how Liam needed a proper Black parent. Ian didn't have a problem with Roberta wanting to give Liam a black parent but there was no way he was going to let her take his baby brother from him. And from what Lip and Fiona had said they were of the same mind. Unfortunately, they might not have a choice in the matter.

The last bomb that Roberta and Monica had dropped on them all was that they were going to do a paternity test on Liam to prove that Frank was not the father. If they did that then there was nothing that could be done to keep Monica's hands off Liam. Ian knew that if Liam was taken Fiona would be crushed, maybe beyond the point of recovery. And should she get that bad then they were all screwed. Fiona was the glue keeping everything together and without her they would fall apart within a week. She also was the real bread winner so they might not even last long enough to fall apart before being kicked out of the house.

Ian felt sleep slip away from him as his mind woke him up further. There was just too much going on in his head for him to be able to sleep. So instead of trying he decided to go do something else. He slipped out of bed and silently made his way downstairs. He grabbed his coat and slipped out the back door to do something to take the edge off. Once he was alone outside he started walking. He didn't know where he was going but that didn't matter. He just needed to get out of there.

Before he could go more than a few feet though he heard the door open behind him and then Lip's voice say "Ian, wait."

Ian turned back to look at his brother and said "Just let me go Lip. I just need to get out of here for a while. I need some time to think."

Lip immediately responded with "Man, I get it. You think this is any easier for me? I remember quite well how Monica screws up all of us. We'll get through it. We'll even figure out a way to deal with this paternity test. Liam probably isn't Franks, but who knows. Maybe they'll screw up the test or something."

Lip then got a quizzical look on his face and he continued with "Hell, knowing Monica there is a pretty good chance that we're not even his kids. We should check it out. Let's do it tomorrow. But for now just get back inside. I know you want to get out of here but I don't think going over to Kash's would be advisable. Linda may just kill you."

It was then that Ian realized that he hadn't told Lip about any of the recent happenings in his life. Lip still thought that Kash and he were together. If only he knew the truth. Ian doubted that Lip would be able to comprehend all that had happened, and especially who Ian was now falling for. Lip would probably die of shock to learn that Mickey was gay. And while Ian had no intention of telling Lip this he could almost imagine the look of pure astonishment that would grace his brother's face should Lip ever learned Mickey was a bottom boy and loved every second of it.

Ian smiled at this thought, and said "I wasn't going to Kash's. But yeah, might as well sleep now. But I agree, we should definitely check out the clinic tomorrow. Maybe we'll get lucky and Frank won't be our sperm donor."

Lip smiled in response to this and then the two brothers headed back inside. As they shut the back door Lip said "There's always hope man."

* * *

><p>Author's note: One more down, who knows how many to go!<p> 


	5. Who's my Daddy?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shameless.

Rating: M for sexual references (plus possible future smut) and language.

Chapter 5

Ian watched the front door like a hawk. He and Lip had been sitting across the street from the health clinic for about half an hour and they were still waiting for Monica and 'Bob' to come out with the news about Liam. He wasn't sure why they were taking so long to come out of the clinic and he wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Bob could be in there celebrating her good fortune in getting the black son she always wanted or she could be threatening everyone in there because she got some bad news. Ian was praying for the second option, as it would allow the youngest Gallagher to stay with his real family.

As time dragged on Ian began to fidget a little. He really wanted to go in there and find out what was going on. Whatever happened in there could have a huge impact on his family and the sooner he found out the truth about it the sooner something could be done. As Ian began convincing himself that he needed to get in there and demand the truth the front door of the clinic burst open and an overly irate Bob stormed out with a frightened Monica at her heels. Ian couldn't be sure why Bob looked as annoyed as she was but hopefully it was something good. Anything that pissed off the crazy woman must be good for the Gallagher household.

As Ian watched Bob storm off Lip whispered in his ear "Come on. Let's head in. We can finally find out whether we're the sons of a drunk or someone into more interesting drugs."

Ian rolled his eyes and said "If only we were that lucky."

Both boys laughed as they stood up and left their little hiding spot. They crossed the street with complete indifference to the cars that were on the road. Neither was hit on the way over, but that was thanks to a good amount of luck and good brakes. As they entered the clinic Ian wondered what would come of this. Frank was either his father or he wasn't but either way Ian kind of lost. Either he had an alcoholic father or a cheating mother. However he still wanted to know the truth. This is the thought that stuck as he went inside and approached the woman at the check in desk.

* * *

><p>Mickey was pissed. He wanted to get the hell out of the house and do anything. Instead he was stuck here in his house listening to his dad rant about something. He really wasn't sure what, because his dad was slurring a bit and changed the subject of his sentence midway through each time. The only thing keeping him here in fact was the fact that his dad still had a bottle in his hand and Mickey didn't particularly feel like getting hit in the back of the head by it. Oddly enough his dad had perfect aim while sloshed, something Mickey still couldn't understand.<p>

As his dad trailed off and started staring at a random spot on the wall Mickey took the chance to get the hell out of there. He more or less bolted for the front door and slammed it shut behind him. His dad still hadn't said anything so Mickey knew he was in the clear. With a huge smirk growing on his face Mickey started off towards the Kash and Grab. His dad's drunkenness had reminded Mickey that he was horribly sober at the moment.

Mickey felt the cocky smirk grow on his face as he burst into his favorite store. Kash was such a pussy, and it became even more apparent whenever the older man spotted Mickey. Mickey could already see the older man cringing slightly and felt a thrill course through his body. He walked straight over to the refrigerators in the back and found a six pack of his favorite beer. Mickey scooped it up and headed straight for the door. He spared Kash one look as if to say "What? You gonna stop me?" and left.

Mickey couldn't help but laugh as he left. No wonder Ian had left Kash. Kash was such a stereotypical bottom. Mickey might like to spread his legs for a sexy guy but he was always very much in control. The thought of spreading his legs caused a familiar sensation to spread through his body and a second later felt the tightness in the crotch of his pants. Mickey readjusted himself with his free hand and then grabbed one of the bottles. He put the six pack in the crook of his arm and used both hands to open up the first beer and commenced drinking.

* * *

><p>Ian was pissed. This was supposed to have been a calm dinner where they all talked about the issues involving Liam's custody. Instead, it had turned into a shouting match. Roberta, or rather, 'Bob' was screaming at Frank, Frank was screaming at Monica and Fiona was only being silent because she apparently was trying to pick which one to scream at. Ian for his part just wanted everyone to shut up. No matter what Liam was staying here. Monica was an awful mother and he could hardly see Bob being motherly in the least. Fiona was the only one who deserved to raise Liam seeing as she had been the only real parent the kid had ever known. Seeing as Frank was the actual father only made Fiona's case stronger.<p>

Ian suddenly became aware that Lip was attempting to signal him. His older brother wasn't trying to be obvious about it which was probably why it had taken Ian a little bit to notice him. He quickly realized the reason for the subtle signals when he spotted the orange envelope in his brother's hands. It was the results from their paternity test. Ian nodded towards Lip and let his older brother get the attention of everyone.

Lip was smart and waited for a moment were everyone took a breath close enough to each other that there was a small window where the volume was below that of a rioting mob. Lip shouted out "HEY! Ian and I have some news."

Everyone stopped and turned towards Lip with either an annoyed or intrigued look on their faces. Lip waited a moment longer and then continued with "Ian and I decided that Liam shouldn't be the only one to confirm his parentage. So we went out and got tested. Let us see if Frank was the sperm donor or not."

Lip then slowly raised the envelope and ripped it open. He rooted inside for a few seconds and then took out two pieces of paper. He glanced at the top one for a second and then let out a little sigh as he tossed it onto the table in front of him. When it hit the table Ian quickly looked over and saw that it was Lip's test and that it confirmed that Frank was his father. Ian wasn't that shocked and was waiting for Lip to toss the second confirmation down when he became aware of something. The table was oddly quiet and everyone was looking at him. Ian slowly looked over at Lip and felt and odd feeling shoot through him at the perplexed look on his older brother's face. Despite knowing what had to be on that letter Ian asked in a shaky voice "What's it say?"

Time stretched on as silence dominated the table. Finally Lip cleared his through and in a monotone voice said "Frank is not Ian Gallagher's father. But a close male relative of Frank is."

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence created from this statement. Ian felt himself turning towards his mother with a million questions on his mind. Despite his best efforts however Ian was unable to vocalize any of them. All he could do was stare at his mother. Monica looked back at him with words of denial already forming but before she could say a thing Frank cut through the silence by saying "You fucked my brother?"

Frank began screaming at Monica while Bob responded in kind, except at Frank. Everyone else was still caught in the shock of the statement and hadn't moved. Ian could feel all their stares on him and couldn't take it for one second longer. He bolted from his seat and ran for the door. He only paused long enough to throw on a coat before bursting out the front door and running without a destination in mind.

Ian's mind blanked out as he ran down the street. He knew that if he thought about it he would break down. He knew he had wished that he had had a different father but now that he knew he couldn't help but think about the father who had effectively abandoned him. His mind just couldn't wrap around it right now. He knew he would pay for it later but that didn't stop Ian from locking away all his feelings concerning his parentage and just ran.

Eventually Ian's legs brought him into the Milkovich neighborhood and this gave him something to focus on other than his family issues. He began slowing down and came to a halt outside of his fuck buddy's place. Ian felt an ache growing inside of himself but it wasn't what he was used to. Normally lust overcame him when he saw Mickey but right now all he could feel was, well, something he couldn't really place. Ian just knew that his heart was contracting painfully and he needed something to do to take his mind off of it.

Ian rushed up the front steps and knocked rapidly on the door. After far too long a time for him the door opened and Mickey stuck his head out. From the fumes coming out of the older boy's mouth Ian could tell that Mickey had been drinking but he didn't care. He leaned in closer to Mickey and urgently whispered "I need you. Now."

Mickey glanced inside and then said "Look, now's a shitty time Gallagher. Dad's home and drunk as a skunk. He's also pissed that he was only to steal three of the beers that I brought home. Fucker."

Ian inwardly sighed in relief. Mickey was not drunk as he had feared, just a tad tipsy. Outwardly he whispered in a rush "Meet me at the store. I REALLY need you right now."

Mickey nodded slowly in response and shut the door after pulling his head back in. Ian waited till he heard the latch and then bolted towards the Kash and Grab. Sex was probably the only thing that would take his mind of things right now and Mickey was always good at supplying that. As he ran Ian felt blood rush down to his dick, which quickly grew to its prodigious length. It complained inside of his tight pants but Ian didn't care. Soon enough he'd be divested of such bothersome things as clothes and would be quite thoroughly 'distracted'.

Ian burst into the Kash and Grab and couldn't believe his luck. Kash was nowhere to be seen. Ian ran towards the back and found that his luck was still holding. The door to the refrigerated back area was also unlocked. It was as if the universe was throwing him a bone after royally screwing him over. Later he would look back on this and realize that the universe was doing nothing of the sort and was actually gearing up for the roundhouse kick to his groin. At the time though Ian could only think about the sex he was about to have.

Roughly five minutes later Mickey staggered in. Upon catching sight of Ian he shuffled over with a growing smirk on his face. The two boys stood by the door to the refrigerated area for about a second before rushing inside. Once inside Ian's clothing went flying in all directions as Mickey shoved his own pants down. The chill of the air stopped Ian for a second but the sight of Mickey's tight ass drove all other thoughts out of his mind. Ian's cock grew even harder as he stepped up to the older boy and began rubbing up against Mickey. Mickey for his part merely looked behind and asked "You gonna get to it?"

Ian's response was to find Mickey's hole and then ram everything he had inside the older boy. Without even pausing Ian pulled almost all the way out and the proceeded to pound Mickey's ass. Mickey groaned for the first couple of thrusts but those quickly became moans of pleasure as Ian began hitting that special spot up inside Mickey. No words were passed between the two boys as they fucked like horny rabbits except for the grunts, moans and small screams of pleasure. They became so wrapped up in the sex that they didn't notice when Kash walked in on them.

Ian only became aware of the presence of his former boyfriend when he felt the pleasure reach a critical point inside of himself. He had thrown his head back and had just barely glimpsed Kash as he was closing his eyes. He had of course jerked his eyes opened and yelled "OH SHIT" as soon as he realized what had happened.

Mickey didn't immediately realize that something had happened, for Ian's shout had coincided with his filling Mickey's ass with quite a number of shots of his sticky cum. This had driven Mickey over the edge and he felt the cum surging out of his balls and coating the inside of his underwear. He smiled in satisfaction as Ian's dick left his ass and would have said something had he not heard Kash say right then "What the FUCK is going on?"

Mickey froze where he was. Someone had caught him. Someone besides his fuck buddy knew that he was gay. He felt the panic rising in his body overcome his reason as he jerked his pants back up and bolted. Mickey didn't even spare a glance back at Ian as he ran right past Kash and out of the store. Some part of him was sad that he had left Ian behind to face the music but right now his fear at being caught had driven all other thoughts other than getting out of the store from his conscious brain.

Ian stared back at Kash as his dick shriveled from the combination of orgasm and freezing air it was subjected to. He didn't have any response for his former boyfriend. He knew that this was the worst possible way he could have let Kash know he had moved on, and was quite well aware how Kash would take the news that Ian was fucking his nemesis. As the silence stretched on his nakedness began to bother Ian more and more so he turned his attention to getting dressed. Kash didn't say a word to him as he did this and just stayed silent, the unanswered question hanging in the air.

Ian couldn't bring himself to look Kash in the eye as he said "I don't want to talk about it."

* * *

><p>Mickey stared at the Kash and Grab and attempted to catch his breath. After running most of the way back to his house his fear had begun subsiding and he began worrying about Kash saying anything. The man hated him and probably would love to spread the rumor. Considering the situation he had caught them in he'd probably out Ian too to get back at his former lover.<p>

For the first time in a long while Mickey felt concern for someone other than himself and knew he had to do something. Of course he was also doing it for himself as well. He just also was thinking about someone else which was big for him. So after taking a deep breath to steady himself Mickey marched back over to the Kash and Grab. As he entered he noticed that Kash was behind the counter and Ian was trying to hide in the aisles as he put stuff away. Mickey wasn't quite sure why Ian had stuck around but wouldn't stop what he was planning.

Mickey turned to face Kash as he got to the register. He looked Kash in the eye and said "You don't say anything, got it?"

Mickey grabbed a candy bar from the counter in front of him and quickly tore it open with his mouth. He took a bite of it and attempted to stare down Kash. This is of course when things went to hell. Kash had been stone still since Mickey had entered but apparently Mickey shoplifting for the billionth time was all it took to set him off. Kash coldly stated "Put it back Mickey. Now."

Mickey leaned in a bit and aggressively asked "What was that?"

The next thing Mickey knew Kash had a gun pointed at his face. Mickey felt his courage shrivel up and die inside as he stumbled back. He heard Ian and Kash saying things but all he could focus on was the gun. Although it wasn't the first time this had happened Mickey could tell that something was different this time. Somehow Mickey knew Kash was actually willing to pull the trigger this time.

Mickey flinched as a shot rang out and a container next to his head shattered. He panicked as he shouted "It's just a fucking candy bar!"

Another shot rang out and Mickey backed up down an isle and tried to think of something he could do. As he was considering what he could possibly do a third shot rang out and a sharp pain radiated out from Mickey's right thigh. His leg collapsed beneath him and Mickey struck the ground. All the breath was forced from his body as he attempted to gasp in pain. He became aware that Ian was now at his side yelling something but could only focus on the gun that was still trained on him.

For a second Mickey saw his life flash before his eyes. This was it. Kash was going to kill him right here for screwing Ian. The cops would probably say it was self-defense and the ladies would most likely throw a parade for Kash. Hell, his own family would probably be relieved that there was one less mouth to feed. No one would probably even care. Mickey was convinced about this until Ian suddenly was in between Mickey and the gun. Mickey was shocked as Ian stated "KASH! Stop. If you're gonna kill him you'll just have to kill me too."

Silence reigned for a few minutes as Kash thought about it. Just as Mickey was becoming convinced he was about to be splattered with Ian's blood he heard the gun hit the counter. He heard Ian's sigh of relief as he let out his own. Even Kash's next statement of "He's still going to jail." didn't ruin it. Mickey had kind of expected it and at the moment was more concerned with the wound in his leg and his blood spreading out on the floor with each passing second.

* * *

><p>Ian could still feel his heart beating a mile a minute despite Kash no longer pointing the gun at him. He had half expected a bullet to hit him as he defended Mickey and was actually surprised Kash hadn't shot him. Nevertheless Kash could still change his mind so Ian was praying the cops got here soon. Before then though there was a more immediate concern. Ian gave Kash and the gun one last glance and then turned towards Mickey. The wound appeared to be a through and through and the lack of spurting blood made it apparent that no arteries had been severed so Mickey wasn't in any danger of dying at the moment.<p>

Ian knelt down by Mickey and said "You're gonna be ok man. It's not that bad. They'll patch you up easily. As for what comes after, well, probably not gonna be that fun."

Mickey nodded and, after grimacing in pain again said "Yeah, kinda figured."

Ian finally heard the sirens and knew he only had a few more minutes before cops and EMTs burst in here and pushed him out of the way. He leaned in close to Mickey and said "Heal up man. And I guess good luck with the cops. I'd stay but I think it would cause a few too many awkward questions."

Mickey nodded and said "Yeah, get out of here Gallagher."

Ian stood up and was almost to the door when Mickey called out "Ian. Thanks man."

Ian stood by the door for a second, not sure what to say. Kash was still frozen in place behind the register but from the sound of it there were only a few minutes before people burst in. After giving himself a few more seconds to think about it Ian responded with "I wasn't going to let you die Mickey. You're my b-, er, friend."

Ian fled through the door then, and didn't stop running until he made it home.

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

I wanted to have this up yesterday but there were a few technical issues. I apologize to anyone who expected it up yesterday. Hopefully you'll forgive me and just enjoy it now.


	6. The Calm and then the Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shameless.

Rating: M for sexual references (plus possible future smut), language, and violent acts.

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

Ian stared at the ceiling as sleep continued to elude him. Ever since Mickey had been shot a few weeks ago Ian had been plagued by a bout of insomnia each and every night. Part of him wished that he had stayed behind with Mickey but the practical side of him had rejected that idea immediately. Had Ian stuck around there would have been many awkward questions and would most likely have outed everyone there. That would have resulted in Kash most likely getting in trouble for shooting Mickey in a rage, not to mention the little fact that Ian was a tad bit young to be having sex, never mind with his employer. At the very least Ian probably would have been hauled down to the station to answer some questions about the events that had transpired. Plus, Fiona would NEVER forgive him if Tony somehow 'saved' him and brought him home.

Ian sighed as he rolled over onto his side. He could hear Carl's almost silent breaths attesting to his ability to sleep fine and Lip's soft but audible snores gave the same answer. Night after night this same thing had happened and there was no apparent relief in sight. He wished he could understand the tangle of emotions that were swamping him. Ian had thought that he had been in love with Kash but it was nothing compared to what he felt for Mickey now. Ian had visited Mickey a few times in jail and despite the glass separating them there was a connection between them. Neither of them showed any overly overt sign of affection but each could tell that the dynamic of their relationship had changed. And it was all due to what Ian had almost said before leaving the Kash & Grab that fateful day.

Ian still couldn't believe that he had almost referred to Mickey as his boyfriend. Neither of them had ever discussed the particulars of their relationship except to comment on how they were each other's fuck buddy. While that had been fine at first Ian had slowly come to realize that he wanted, no, needed more than just sex. Sure, the sex was great but he wasn't just looking for the purely physical. He wanted to be able to be with a guy who could just be there for him. Despite the fact that Mickey's attitude towards him was changing they still were far from any kind of confirmed relationship.

Ian flipped over onto his stomach as he tried to find a position that he could pass out in. By this point he didn't have an ounce of strength in him. If he didn't get some sleep soon he'd probably just collapse somewhere and never get back up. He wished that he could get his hands on some sleeping pills but there were no more to be had. Lip had been able to get him some when Ian's insomnia first started up but those had gone fast. Ian would have asked for more but then Lip might have started worrying and the last thing he wanted was for his older brother to start digging into his life. Lip knew that Ian was gay but he didn't have a clue about Mickey not to mention the fact that Ian was still in turmoil over wondering who his real father was. His life was just shit right now and Lip couldn't help him out at all.

Ian groaned as he rolled back over onto his back. His mind was racing with thoughts and nothing seemed to be helping. Just as he was getting to the point where he couldn't handle it anymore he heard footsteps in the hallway outside his room. He twisted his head towards the door just as it slowly opened and revealed Fiona's head peeking in. Ian watched as she scanned the room quick and looked about ready to head back out when she noticed Ian staring back at her. She stared at him for a moment and then jerked her head to the side as a signal for Ian to follow her out.

Ian slipped out of his bed and grabbed a t-shirt to put on as he headed out to follow Fiona. Thankfully the cold spell had finally broken but that didn't mean that wearing just a pair of tight boxers was appropriate dress wear for late night discussions. Ian slid through the open door and silently shut it and headed downstairs. Once he was in the living room he saw that Fiona was sitting down on the coach watching him. She indicated a spot next to her and Ian went right over and took it.

For a moment nothing was said. Fiona seemed to ignore him as she stared off at the wall with a peculiar expression on her face. Ian felt the silence digging at him and was about to say something when Fiona said "Spill it."

Ian twitched slightly upon hearing that. He sat there for a moment and debated whether to lie and ask her what she meant or just let it out and tell her all of his troubles. Fiona must have sensed some of what was going on in Ian's head for she wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a hug.

"Ian, its ok. Tony hasn't been banging down the door so obviously you haven't been caught doing something illegal and Lip hasn't mentioned anything out of the ordinary about the things you guys do that never gets found out so what has you in a funk? Is it about what we found out when Monica was here? Is it the craziness over at the Kash ad Grab? Just tell me. You and Lip help me keep everything together and if you fall apart this entire house will go insane."

Ian felt tears forming but willed them back down. He was not going to cry. He was way too tough for that. But he couldn't hold everything else back in too. So he told her. He told her about him being gay. He revealed the affair he had with Kash, Linda finding out, and everything she put Kash through. He explained about Mickey's thieving and what had resulted from it. He even told her about how finding out that Frank wasn't his father had filled him with hope and yet crushed him at the same time. By the end of it Ian was shaking from the outpour of emotions and didn't even register that Fiona hadn't said a word throughout his entire speech.

Shortly after Ian ran out of things to say he felt Fiona's arm tighten around him as she hugged him harder. Ian hugged her back for all that he was worth as she told him "Ian, I've known you were gay for a while. Don't think you EVER need to hide anything like that from me. You're my brother and nothing will ever change that. As for the affair with Kash all I have to say is don't do something like that again. As you have seen it hurts everyone involved and is just plain messy. It's why I don't go anywhere near the married men. And as for Mickey, well, if he makes you happy then stick with it. I always had my suspicions about him and it does kind of explain a lot of things. He won't be in jail for long and I'd sound like quite a hypocrite if I told you to stay away from felons."

Both of them smiled slightly as they both thought about Fiona's former relationship with Steve. It was former simply because Tony had found out that Steve's job involved stealing cars and this had forced Steve to flee the country. Ian was quite sure that Tony had given Steve that chance just so that Fiona wouldn't hate Tony forever. Regardless, Steve was gone and Fiona was moving on. Slowly.

Ian felt a small smile start to form as Fiona slowly untangled the two of them and sat up. Fiona gave him a little love smack and said "Now off to bed. You have work in the morning."

Ian stood up, feeling better than he had since Mickey had been arrested. Getting all that off his chest was unimaginably relieving and Fiona's reaction to everything was exactly what he needed. She didn't care one bit that Ian was gay, only that he was safe and happy. And that he learned his lesson from his previous fuck-ups.

As he headed upstairs Ian paused for a second, turned back at his eldest sister and said "Fiona, thank you."

"You're welcome Ian. Now, try and get some sleep"

The next morning Ian felt more refreshed than he had been in a long time. After talking to Fiona he had been able to fall to sleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. And while he hadn't gotten a full night's sleep he still had gotten more than his recent average and it had rejuvenated him quite a bit. He felt like he could do anything and left the house that day with a smile. Little did he know that he was simply in the eye of the storm and worse was yet to come.

Ian was halfway to the Kash & Grab when it happened. He hadn't been paying as close attention as he normally did on his walk over as he didn't see anyone around and figured that everyone was asleep on this early Saturday morning but he was disabused of this notion when he heard the rapid footsteps behind him. Ian turned to look at who was running up to him and was able to catch a glimpse of something gray and cylindrical heading for his head. Ian felt a spike of fear shoot through him an instant before the object struck him and sent a jolt of lightning through his body. After that he felt nothing.

* * *

><p>"Debbie! Put Liam to bed. Lip clean the table. Carl, I swear if you try and electrocute one more of Debbie's dolls you'll be grounded for the rest of the year."<p>

After shouting out all of her orders for the moment Fiona took a second to catch her breath. The Gallagher household was going through its normal routine for the night, which basically meant that all hell was breaking loose. It didn't help that Ian had apparently decided not to come home after work. At first she had assumed he was out with Mandy or possibly with another of his friends from school but as the hours raced by without any word from him Fiona had begun to get a little worried. By now she was torn between being pissed off that he wasn't home to worried that something might have happened.

As the various Gallagher children raced around doing their prep work for bed Fiona stole a moment to sneak onto the back porch and did something she never would have done had she not been as worried as she was. She called Tony.

After a few rings Fiona heard Tony say "Officer Markovitch"

"Tony, its Fiona. Ian hasn't been home yet and I'm getting a little worried. Can you just keep an eye out for him and call me if you run into him?"

After a few seconds Fiona heard Tony respond with "Well, I can't put out a missing persons report since it hasn't been 24 hours but yeah, I'll keep an eye out for him. I'm sure he's just out with friends or something."

Fiona smiled slightly and said "Thanks Tony, I appreciate it."

After hanging up Fiona headed back inside to find Veronica lounging on the couch. Upon seeing her best girl friend Veronica jumped up and said "Thank god we have tonight off. I mean, I love making money as much as the next girl but sometimes we just need to be able to relax. Got anything good to drink?"

Fiona waved towards the fridge and said "You can check but don't get your hopes up. Franks' been around and I'm quite sure he has cleaned us out."

"I thought he was living with Sheila now? Why the hell is he still coming around? You do keep the money locked up, right?"

Fiona chuckled for a moment before replying with "Trust me, I know better than to let that happen."

By now Veronica was checking out the fridge and upon finding a few beers gave out a small joyful yell. After popping of the tops of two of them she handed one to Fiona and the two of them proceeded to drink. They began discussing a variety of subjects, ranging from their love lives to money and finally onto the latest of Frank's crazy antics. Throughout it all Fiona continued to worry about Ian and Veronica couldn't help but notice it. When the conversation finally died down Veronica finally acknowledged the elephant in the room by asking "Honey, what's wrong?"

Fiona sat there for a second and was about to answer when she heard a knock at the front door. The knock was more of a rapid pounding and each additional knock sent a chill down Fiona's spine. Without saying a word she got up and slowly walked to the door, already feeling a sense of dread spreading throughout her body. When she finally got to the door she took a deep breath, attempted to calm her nerves, and opened the door.

Standing there with his fist already coming down to knock again was Tony. Behind him sat his cruiser with the lights flashing. With one look at his face Fiona felt something crumble inside of her. Her throat constricted and all sound vanished from her hearing except that of her heart. She saw Tony's lips move and knew he was saying something but she just couldn't understand him. All she could do was stare.

Fiona jumped slightly when Tony grabbed her arm and her hearing rushed back into place as he apparently said again "Fiona, we need to go. Now."

As she felt her throat constrict even more she gasped out "What? Where? Where's Ian Tony. What happened?"

A look of understanding passed across Tony's face as he realized that she had been too shocked earlier to comprehend earlier. He placed his hands on both of her shoulders to steady her and said "We need to go to the hospital now. They found Ian. It's not good."

Fiona felt tears fall down her face as she gripped Tony's uniform with both hands and yelled "What do you mean? Who found him? Where? WHAT HAPPENED TO IAN?"

Tony didn't say a word for a moment. He stood there as Fiona fought for air as she felt her world crumble. She was vaguely aware of Veronica telling her to go with Tony, that she would watch the kids until Fiona got back. Tony said something in response but Fiona couldn't hear it. Her mind was filled with horrific images of Ian hurt, wounded or in some other gruesome condition. She let herself be brought over to the police cruiser and be placed inside. Her mind continued to race as Tony let the siren blast as he drove fearlessly through the streets. When they pulled up to the hospital about 15 minutes later Fiona was still in shock and again forced tony to direct her to where she needed to go.

After walking around a few corridors they stopped outside of a set of doors. At first Fiona didn't know why they had stopped but as Tony began speaking to a receptionist sitting at a desk nearby she began to comprehend. The doors were locked and could only be opened by a hospital employee. The woman pushed a hidden button under her desk and the doors in front of Fiona swung open. The instant she could Fiona started walking through them and hopefully towards someone who could let her know what was going on.

Before she had gone more than a few feet Tony was again at her side directing her towards a specific room. Fiona felt bile begin to rise in her throat as she approached and for a second prayed that this was all a mistake. Or a joke. Or anything other than what it seemed to be. These thoughts were dashed the instant the sliding door to the room opened and she caught a glimpse at the person laying on the hospital bed with what seemed like a million wires and tubes connected to him.

Fiona froze where she was. She felt like someone had just punched her right in the gut. The room began to spin and she would have fallen had Tony not grabbed her and steadied her. He held her there for a few moments as she stared into the room and looked at what had been a perfectly healthy boy earlier today. Wires were connecting various parts of Ian's body to an assortment of machines and a mask covering his face apparently provided oxygen for him. A few of the machines made beeps as they monitored Ian's vitals and they at the least showed that Ian was still alive.

A hand was placed on her shoulder and had Fiona had it in her she would have jumped in response. As it was all she could do was tense slightly and twist her head a little to look at the person who had touched her. As she looked upon the woman next to her she took in the white coat and scrubs underneath and assumed it was a doctor. She leaned into Tony a little and found the strength to get herself back on her own two feet. Once she was steady the woman in front of her said "My name is Dr. Amelia Long and I am in charge of your brother's case."

Fiona nodded slightly and asked "What happened to Ian?"

The woman glanced around for a second and then ushered Fiona into Ian's room. Tony remained outside but gave her a look of sympathy before closing the sliding door. The drawn blinds prevented anyone else from seeing anything that was going on in the room.

Once the door was shut Dr. Long said "Ian was brought in earlier today with injuries consistent with a prolonged beating. We would have notified you earlier but upon his arrival Ian was unconscious and without any identification. We only became aware of his identity when Officer Markovitch contacted us and gave us a description."

Fiona stared at the doctor and tried to find something to say. The words escaped her though and Dr. Long seemed to realize this. She gave Fiona a sympathetic look and continued with "His condition is stable at the moment. We were forced to put him into a medically induced coma though to prevent swelling and unfortunately we will not know what kind of condition his mind is in until he wakes up. There is also one other thing."

Fiona stared at the doctor and wondered what else could have happened to her poor brother. As the silence began to stretch on Fiona quietly asked "What. What else could have happened to him?"

Dr. Long glanced over at Ian and then quietly said "There are also signs that Ian had sex at some point around the time of the attack."

Fiona didn't breath for a second. She stared hard at her brother and felt like collapsing. She didn't know what to do. It was bad enough to know Ian almost died today but from what Dr. Long had insinuated it was so much worse than she could ever have believed. Tears started flowing freely down her face as she whispered "Oh Ian…"

Dr. Long placed a hand on Fiona's shoulder and said "I have to make my rounds but I'll be back to discuss everything in greater detail with you."

Fiona nodded vaguely and took a seat by Ian's bedside and let the tears flow. When Tony walked over to her she grabbed him and began sobbing. Tony wrapped his arms around her and held her while she completely broke down.

* * *

><p>Author's note: Don't worry, Ian will live. I know this chapter was a tad intense, but I do hope you all will still enjoy it.<p>

Also, I have realized that this story is technically in the wrong category. My bad. When I upload chapter 7 I will switch it over to the Shameless 2011 section. Just wanted to let you guys and gals know.


	7. Mickey's Confession

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shameless.

Rating: M for sexual references (plus possible future smut), language and adult themes.

Chapter 7

"Fuck you! Fuck you! And especially fuck you!" Mickey shouted as he walked backwards away from the juvie building.

No one was there but Mickey felt better anyway. The last couple months had been among the worst ever. He had been put in a cell with a homophobic drug addict and the two of them hadn't gotten on that well. Mickey of course hadn't done anything that would have marked him gay but that didn't mean his cell mate had liked him. Granted, Mickey may have stolen his stash that one time but there was no proof. Regardless, Mickey was out and he had a destination in mind.

For the first couple of weeks during his incarceration Ian had come to visit him a number of times. At first they had been a bit awkward around one another mainly because neither of them had fully voiced their feelings towards one another. Over time though that had become less important. Each knew that the other cared strongly and that was enough for the time. At one point Mickey had almost down and asked Ian to wait for him but at the last second he had stopped himself. Mickey had convinced himself that Ian would wait and that it would just be weird if he had said it. Afterwards though Mickey changed his mind.

Ian had never come back to visit since the day Mickey had come close to admitting his feelings. For a while Mickey was convinced he had hurt the younger boy but as even more time passed he switched to anger. For almost five weeks he had heard nothing from Ian which was pretty odd for the younger boy usually came to visit at least once a week if not more. Mickey would have gone crazy had he been forced to stay for his full sentence and been forced to wait even longer to figure this shit out. Thankfully though the warden was addicted to a number of things and at one of his dealers owed Mickey a favor. Long story short, the warden had pulled some strings and Mickey was getting out early on 'good behavior'.

Now that he was out Mickey was going to head straight for the Gallagher household and figure out what the hell was going on with Ian. If Ian was hurt because Mickey hadn't had the balls to admit his feelings then Mickey would do whatever he had to do to fix it. He loved Ian and he was not going to let his fear hold him back anymore. The last time fear held him back someone he deeply cared for had died and it was NOT going to happen again.

As Mickey turned a corner he saw a familiar figure walking towards him in a bit of a rush. Mickey stood there for a second and then called out "You really are always late, aren't you? Bet it has caused you more than one scare in your life Mandy."

Mandy gave him a death glare as she walked up to him. She gave him the bitchiest look she could manage and then said "Not funny Mickey. I was babysitting Liam for Fiona and Lip didn't get back in time for me to be here for your big release. In fact, Fiona beat him back. She was pissed he was late."

Mickey gave his sister and odd look but didn't say anything. He knew that Liam was Ian's youngest brother but he wasn't sure why Mandy had been babysitting. The Gallagher's didn't have any spare cash so they would never dish out for a babysitter when one of the older kids could do it for free. It was possible that Mandy was just doing it out of the kindness of her heart but knowing her as well as he did there was little chance of that.

As Mandy turned around and started walking Mickey fell in beside her and wondered what the best way to broach the subject of the Gallaghers would be. She had given him a bit of an opening and even if it wasn't as quick as just asking about Ian it would hopefully give him the information he wanted without letting Mandy know too much. With this in mind he nonchalantly asked "So, Fiona win the lottery or are you trying to get into Lip's pants? I mean, I doubt you're babysitting just to be nice."

Mickey expected Mandy to yell at him or just ignore him. He hadn't expected her to get very quiet and teary eyed. Chills ran throughout Mickey's entire body as he realized that something was horribly wrong. He immediately dropped his asshole big brother routine and asked "Mandy, what's wrong?"

Mandy remained silent for a few minutes. She had stopped walking when he had asked the previous question so now the two of them were just standing in the middle of the sidewalk blocking traffic. Various people walked around them, either ignoring them or giving them ticked off looks for getting in their way but Mickey didn't pay any attention to them. All he was focused on was his sister, who seemed to be about ready to scream or cry. Mickey again asked "Mandy, what happened?"

Tears began to flow down Mandy's face but she remained silent. Mickey could see powerful emotions playing themselves out across her face and the chills he had felt earlier intensified. Mickey then did something he had only done a twice, and only when they were alone. He wrapped his arms around Mandy, pulled her close and said "Mandy, its ok. I may act like a dick but I'm still your brother. What the hell happened?"

Mandy buried her face into his chest and sobbed out "I wasn't there just for Liam. That's what I tell people. It's better than letting them know about what happened to Ian."

Mickey stiffened as soon as he heard what Mandy said. The chill was now delving deep into his heart and he couldn't help but feel something awful was about to be revealed. He felt like was at the edge of a precipice and would fall right off it with Mandy's next words. He was right.

"Ian just got out of the hospital and really can't do much. He hasn't said a word since he regained consciousness. It's just awful seeing him as he is now."

Mickey felt his heart pounding in his chest. Ian had been hurt. He had been hurt _bad_. And while Ian had recovered Mickey had been pissed at him. Ian hadn't stopped coming because of something Mickey had done. Ian had stopped because something dreadful had happened to him. Mickey felt tears of his own forming and tried to keep under control. In a near breathless whisper he asked "Mandy. What happened to Ian? Who hurt him? What the hell did they do?"

Mandy broke down into even more crying in response and that was it. Mickey knew it had to be something unbelievably awful. Had Ian just been beaten, or just physically hurt she might have cried a bit but would have been able to tell him about it. They lived in a rough neighborhood and assaults were not unheard of. Mickey knew she had seen some disturbing things but none of them had ever made her react like this. She was too distraught to even tell him what was going on. He had no choice but to go to the source.

Mickey wrapped his arms around his sister and said "We're going to the Gallagher's right now."

Mandy nodded slightly and allowed Mickey to lead her in the direction of the Gallagher residence. As they walked both were silent and ignored everything around them. Sounds faded into the background, color faded and even time seemed to slow. Mandy continued to sob silently as she took comfort in the one arm Mickey still had around her. For his part Mickey was doing his best to not break away from his sister and bolt to Ian's side.

When they reached the house Mickey could feel that something was wrong. A heavy despair seemed to emanate from within and for a second Mickey wanted to run away. He knew that whatever he learned inside would rip him apart. But no matter how much it terrified him Mickey couldn't leave Ian. He would find a way to help the boy he loved and right now that meant stepping inside.

As Mandy and Mickey walked up to the door it opened up and revealed Lip Gallagher. Lip gave the two of them an odd look as he asked "Mandy, did you forget something? And what do you want Mickey?"

The Mandy was silent in Mickey's arm and he didn't have a clue as to what to say. He knew Lip probably was still pissed from when Mickey had roughed him a while back and nothing he would say would change Lip's mind. It was ironic actually that Mickey had beaten up Lip because he had thought Ian had been screwing around with his sister. Now he knew beyond a doubt that that had not been the case but Lip would not be aware of that.

As Mickey searched his mind for a plausible excuse he heard a voice from inside the house ask out "Mickey? Mickey Milkovitch is here?"

A moment later Lip was gently pushed to the side and Fiona appeared in the doorway. Mickey couldn't help but stare in shock. Fiona had always been thin, but she had at least had a healthy glow to her. Now she looked like a starvation victim. Her skin appeared stretched out over her bones as if there wasn't an ounce of fat on her. Her eyes were sunken with her hair looking brittle as it fell all over the place. When she looked at Mickey though something appeared for a second in her eyes. Mickey wasn't sure, but he thought it was hope.

Fiona waved them both in as she said "Come in. Come in."

"Fiona, are you sure? I mean, Mandy yeah but Mickey? Why the hell should we let him in?" Lip said as he partially blocked the doorway.

Fiona again pushed him aside and said "Trust me."

Mickey felt himself pale a little as he began to understand what Fiona was saying. For whatever reason Fiona must have an idea about the relationship between Ian and himself. From her reaction though she didn't seem angry so for now Mickey would just go with it. As Mandy and he walked inside the house Fiona grabbed him and said "We need to talk for a bit."

Lip and Mandy both stared at the eldest Gallagher but didn't say a word as Fiona dragged Mickey after her. The two of them headed upstairs and once in Fiona's room she let go of the grip she had on Mickey's arm. Fiona shut the door and stared straight at Mickey and asked "Do you love him?"

Mickey stood there speechless for a minute. How could he answer Fiona when he had never actually said it to Ian? Sure he was in love with Ian but telling Ian's sister first just seemed weird. He finally decided to avoid the question for the moment and try to figure out what had happened. He looked squarely at Fiona and said "Answer this for me first. What the hell happened to Ian?"

Fiona shuddered slightly as if the words were a physical blow. She looked down for a second and Mickey saw tears sliding down her cheeks as she silently sobbed. Mickey was just about to grab her and ask her again when she said "Someone attacked Ian. They beat him near death and left him in an alley. It took almost 12 hours for someone to find him and the doctors said that had we not had that last cold snap Ian might have bled out and died."

Mickey felt the air rush out of his body as if he had been punched. He staggered back slightly and sat down on Fiona's bed as his legs gave way. He knew Ian must have been hurt bad but this was worse than he had imagined. Ian was a sweet guy and the thought of him lying in an alley somewhere half dead was killing Mickey. Mickey felt his own tears break out and he did nothing to halt their progress.

As soon as Fiona noticed the tears another sob escaped her and before Mickey knew it she had her arms wrapped around him. Mickey brought his arms up with the intention to push her away a little but much to his own surprise he instead wrapped his arms around her and held her while they both bawled their eyes out. After a few minutes Mickey felt himself gain a little more control of when Fiona dropped the last bombshell.

"They raped him Mickey. More than once."

Mickey felt his stomach drop as these words seared through him. His throat constricted as he attempted to process what had just been said. When he finally was able to get a little air into his lungs he shouted "THEY WHAT?"

Mickey felt his world crumbling around him. Today he had woken up with some trivial concerns about getting out and the slightly more important ones concerning his quasi relationship with Ian. Now he had found out why Ian had 'abandoned' him in jail and all Mickey wanted to do was hunt down the bastards who had done it and send them straight to hell. Preferably in a very painful fashion.

Mickey tried to get up but Fiona held him back. Mickey fought against her for a second but then let the older woman win. He knew that his anger was useless. If the person or people responsible were known they would have long since been sent to jail. Or murdered. As it was all Mickey could do was help Ian and the best way to do that would be to listen to Fiona.

As soon as he stopped struggling Fiona said "Ian's healed up physically, mostly. He was really lucky and he won't suffer any permanent impairment. Mentally though… Well, you'll see. It's like he isn't there anymore. Ian's like a hollow shell of his former self."

Fiona pulled Mickey up them and the two of them slowly made their way towards Ian's room. Mickey felt like he was in some horrible nightmare. The boy he loved with his entire heart had nearly died and it was likely Ian wished he had just died. As Fiona opened the door back out to the hallway Mickey felt his heartbeat quicken slightly. He focused on keeping his breathing normal as he took one step after another. By the time Ian's door was before him Mickey felt that he could handle it. He knew what had happened and had an idea of what he would see. He would be strong for Ian. He could do this.

He was dead wrong.

The moment Fiona opened the door and Mickey got his first glimpse of Ian he felt like he had been punched right in the gut. The only parts of Ian that was visible was his head and left arm. The rest of him was covered by a number of blankets which was very odd considering spring was in full force. From just the one look at Ian's face though Mickey was glad he didn't see anything else. It wasn't that it was beaten up or that he looked thin and drawn out like Fiona. Physically he looked the same as he had before. But there was something different. Ian's body was there, intact, but it looked like that was all that was there. There was no spark of life in his eye and had Mickey not spotted the slow rise and fall of the sheets he would have sworn Ian had died.

Mickey took a single step towards Ian and then stopped when he felt Fiona pulling on him. Or rather he thought she was pulling on him. As he glanced back he saw that he had grabbed hold of Fiona with a death grip the moment he laid eyes on Ian and was now actually holding himself back. Fiona didn't look annoyed though. She just nodded slightly at Mickey with a look of complete understanding. She pried his fingers off of her arm and quietly said "We've all tried to get him to talk. He hasn't said a word. Try, but don't get hurt if he just sits there."

Mickey nodded and slowly walked over to Ian. When he was by Ian's side he knelt down and whispered "Hey Ian. I got out today."

Ian blinked once but made no other movement. Mickey felt his heart breaking at seeing what Ian had been reduced to. Mickey lifted his right hand and slowly brought it down on Ian's left shoulder. Mickey wished he knew what to say. He knew his first statement had been lame and utterly useless. No one had been able to reach Ian so far and these were his family members. They knew him so much better than Mickey did. What could Mickey do?

Mickey brought his right hand down from Ian's shoulder and sought out his hand. He clasped the younger boy's hand and squeezed tightly, trying to put everything that he couldn't say into it. Ian's hand remained loose and it did not look like Ian was even aware of what was happening. Mickey leaned in closer to Ian and said "Let me know who did this Ian. I'll fuck them up. You know I would."

"Please Ian, say something. Anything."

Ian gave no sign that he had heard anything. Mickey squeezed Ian's hand tighter for a second and then leaned in even closer. He whispered "I really should have done this earlier Ian. I'm sorry that I didn't. I was scared. I didn't know how to tell anyone, even you. I love you Ian Gallagher. I always will."

After saying that Mickey leaned in and pressed his lips against Ian's. He held the kiss for a few moments and then slowly pulled back. He gave Ian's hand one more squeeze and was about to let go when he felt something. It was just the tiniest change and had he not been watching for it he never would had noticed it. Ian's hand tightened just the tiniest bit around his. Mickey squeezed back and felt a warm feeling spread through him as Ian's hand curled around his.

Mickey looked right into Ian's face and for the first time saw a little life return to those eyes. Tears flowed freely down his face as Mickey again leaned in and kissed Ian. This time he felt Ian respond, albeit slightly. Ian kissed him back and Mickey blocked out everything else. Once the kiss broke Mickey saw the pain in Ian's eyes. It was almost more than he could bear. Mickey brought his left arm around Ian and held the love of his life as Ian began sobbing against Mickey's chest.

* * *

><p>Fiona sobbed with relief as she saw Ian move. Before he had only moved if you prodded him and forced him, and he certainly never showed the slightest emotion. Seeing him crying in Mickey's arms brought joy to her heart. She knew Ian was suffering and that it would take a long time for him to recover from this. But now that he had opened up he could begin to heal. She would see to it that Mickey was with Ian as much as possible even if she had to kidnap him.<p>

As the both boys cried in each other's arms Fiona slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the doorframe and let the tears continue to fall. Arms encircled her and Fiona was not surprised to see Tony standing behind her with a worried look. She smiled slightly as she turned around to hug him and whispered "Ian's back."

Tony's face broke out into a relieved smile and before she could object his lips were pressed against hers. Fiona contemplated pushing him off but found that she was enjoying this far too much. Tony had been helping her out a lot between helping take care of her siblings and slipping Lip money now and again. She knew he had been doing it but she just didn't have it in her to tell Lip to give the money back. Frankly, they needed it. She hadn't been working as much as she should have been and the hospital had been making noise about Ian's bills. She still had no idea how she would handle those. Right now though she was going to enjoy the moment and leave everything for later.

Fiona felt the kiss change from a somewhat chaste thing to something more passionate as tony began leading her towards her bedroom. Fiona felt a familiar thrill course through her body and reveled in being able to feel it again. As Tony shut the door to her room behind them Fiona gave herself up to what she was feeling and vowed to make the night special for both of them.

* * *

><p>Ian sobbed against Mickey's chest as everything he had been holding back broke out. All the memories of what had happened to him came back to the forefront of his mind and brought him to the edge of sanity. Had Mickey not continued to hold him, kiss him, and tell him that everything would be ok Ian was sure he would have gone over the edge again.<p>

Ever since Ian had regained consciousness he had felt like he was dreaming. Everything seemed distorted and out of sync. Time seemed slower, sound distorted and colors muted. Ian hadn't remembered what had happened to him, at least not at first. But as his senses cleared so did his memory. The horror and shame of what had happened overwhelmed him and Ian had done the one thing he could think of. He pushed everything away and hid within his own mind. He had been only partially aware of things around him and had more or less been on autopilot. He knew people were concerned about him, but every time they spoke to him it felt like he was at the other end of a ravine and the bridge had been destroyed. No matter how much he tried Ian couldn't reach them. He couldn't even let them know that he heard them.

Ian was about ready to give up when he noticed that the latest person to try and reach him was none other than Mickey. Ian wished that he could say something, or even just move a hand. But again he failed. Ian was about ready to give up for the very last time when something Mickey said cut through to him. When Mickey told Ian that he loved him Ian felt something other than the pain that had been constant since the attack. The feeling intensified dramatically when Mickey had kissed him. That kiss gave Ian something to hold onto, something to bring him out of the depths of despair and back into the world.

Now Ian was back and he had no choice but to face everything. Including a memory he wished he did not have. Ian now remembered who had attacked him and it terrified him to even contemplate ratting them out. They didn't kill him the first time but if they found out that he remembered their faces Ian was as good as dead. This thought brought out even more tears and Ian let them flow as he buried his face deeper into Mickey's chest.

Ian felt Mickey kiss his head as he said "Ian, it is going to be ok. I'm here. No one will ever hurt you again. I'd rip them apart before they got the chance."

Ian cringed slightly and then whispered "Even if they were your friends?"

Mickey tensed slightly but continued to hold Ian close. Ian wished he could take that statement back but before he could say anything else Mickey said "No friend of mine would hurt you. No real friend at least. But let's not worry about it right now. You should rest."

Ian nodded slightly and lay back down on his bed. He was saddened by the loss of contact and was about to ask Mickey to stay when the older boy kicked off his shoes and stripped down to his underwear and t-shirt. Mickey then climbed into bed with Ian and wrapped his arms around him and whispered "Just rest Ian. I'm here. No one will hurt you. I promise I'll keep you safe."

Ian felt another wave of tears hit him as he snuggled up against Mickey and slowly drifted off into the first restful sleep he had had in weeks.

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><p>Author's note: And there is chapter 7. Things will get better for them, I promise. And either next chapter or the one after I will reveal the secret of Mickey's notebook. You can guess if you want and if anyone gets it right I'll let them know.<p> 


	8. Mickey's Promise

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Shameless.

Rating: M for language and violence. And smut. Lots of smut.

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

Mickey gazed at Ian as the younger boy slept in his arms. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep with Ian in his arms but it must have been for more than a few hours as it was pitch black outside. He could hear the muffled sounds of the Gallagher household outside the door but for now the majority of his attention was on the wounded angel in his arms. He couldn't help but gaze upon the love of his life and feel glad that despite everything that had happened he had been able to admit his true feelings for Ian. The fact that Ian returned those feelings made him want to sing with joy.

Mickey brought his left hand up to Ian's face and gently brushed a few strands of Ian's silky red hair out of the way of his eye. He leaned in close and pressed his lips against Ian's smooth cheek and kissed him lightly. As he did this Mickey's arms curled around Ian just a little tighter, bringing the younger boy closer to him. The only part of Mickey that wasn't all over Ian in fact was his crotch. Mickey was doing this on purpose as he didn't want to scare Ian. After everything Ian had been through there was a good chance that anything sexual would terrify the poor boy and Mickey would rather die than hurt Ian. However, that didn't stop the close proximity to Ian from causing an inevitable reaction. Mickey was hard as a rock and his underwear was straining at the seams to contain his throbbing dick.

Mickey froze for a second as Ian shifted in his sleep and rolled up against Mickey's not so little problem. The moment Ian's thigh brushed up against him Mickey had to force himself to keep from moaning. Ever since he had been sent to juvie he had been forced to cut back on his nightly habit. Mickey hadn't been able to jack off more than a handful of times so right now he was filled to bursting with pure sexual need.

Mickey felt heat spread through his body as his dick swelled even more. Ian's thigh was still pressing up against his erection and Mickey was finding it increasingly difficult to resist. He knew that it was extremely doubtful that Ian was ready for sex emotionally, never mind the face that Ian was currently asleep. With this in mind Mickey slowly pulled back from Ian and put a little distance between his throbbing cock and Ian's body.

Before Mickey could stop however a hand snaked around his body and pulled him in closer. He glanced down in surprise to see two green eyes staring back at him. Before Mickey could say a word Ian pulled him closer and kissed him. It began as a chaste thing, a small peck on the lips but it quickly became something else. Mickey was stunned when he felt Ian's tongue pressing up against his lips but quickly gave in to the incessant probing. In seconds their tongues were locked in a duel as their hands explored each other's bodies.

Mickey shuddered with pleasure as Ian's hands slid underneath his t-shirt and began trailing up and down his back. Mickey responded in kind and let his hands roam across Ian's naked torso. When his hands found the younger boy's nipples he felt Ian tense against him and then the kiss became even more intense. Mickey decided to test out a theory and slowly began to twist each nipple and was rewarded by a moan from Ian.

By now both boys were pushing their bodies up against each other as much as they could. Despite their underwear each could feel the other's hard cock and it only turned them on more. When Mickey came up for air from the kiss Ian took advantage of the moment to pull his T-shirt off, leaving both boys in just their underwear. Mickey gazed upon the younger boy with a look of pure lust but was able to control himself just enough to ask "Ian, are you sure you want to do this?"

Ian didn't say a word. Instead he brought his right hand down to Mickey's crotch and began rubbing his dick through the thin fabric of his boxers. Mickey moaned slightly as Ian traced the outline of his cock head and gave himself over to what was happening. Mickey lunged in and began making out with Ian again as he brought both of his hands down onto Ian's ass. He squeezed the tight mounds of his lover's ass and enjoyed the feel of the firm muscles.

Mickey continued to fondle and caress all over Ian's body and received the same in kind. After a short while the two of them made an unspoken agreement and slid each other's briefs down. They kicked them off in unison and then squeezed their bodies together. As their cocks began rubbing against each other Mickey felt himself start to approach his peak. After so long without release the frottage he was receiving right now was more than enough to finish him off. He could feel himself leaking as Ian started to hump him and knew he wouldn't last much longer. He Ian on top of him and whispered "Ian, I'm close."

Mickey shuddered as Ian leaned in and, after nibbling gently on his ear, whispered "Me too."

With that the two of them began thrusting at each other with more force than they had the entire night. Within a minute Mickey felt his pleasure peak and moaned as shot after shot of jizz splattered his and Ian's chests. Seconds after he began cumming Mickey felt Ian tense on top of him as the redhead succumbed to his own orgasm. As the two of them came down off their orgasms Ian whispered "I love you Mickey. Please don't ever leave me."

Mickey then felt something wet on his own face and almost started crying himself when he realized that what he was feeling were Ian's tears. He wrapped his arms around the love of his life and said "And I love you Ian. I will never leave you. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I did something like that?"

Ian's response was to kiss him passionately and cling to him even harder.

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><p>The next morning Mickey awoke in a strange bed and had to take a few seconds to try and figure out where he was. When he felt something shift next to him everything rushed back to him. Mickey looked down and smiled at the adorable sight that greeted him. Ian's head lay on Mickey's chest and from the look of it Ian was completely at peace.<p>

Mickey kissed the top of Ian's head and was about to extract himself from Ian's hug when he heard a voice say "I hope you put some pants on before you get up man."

Mickey whipped his head around to see Lip staring down at him with a smirk gracing his face. Mickey felt himself blushing as Lip continued with "Never would have pegged you for the sentimental type, but I guess people have all sorts of ways of surprising others. Thanks, by the way. Ian really needed you, and not just for the sex that we all knew you were doing last night."

Mickey groaned as he asked "Did you really know we were having sex last night?"

"Dude, between you and Ian moaning and Fiona shrieking last night, well, let's just say the entire street knew that people were getting it on here."

"Fuck me…" Mickey muttered as Ian began stirring on his chest.

Ian then mumbled something into Mickey's chest, and Mickey could have sworn that it was something like 'that's my job'. He cracked a smile and gave his boyfriend a little hug before extracting himself and standing up. He heard Lip groan as he stood up revealing his naked form. Mickey stretched and scratched his stomach a little bit as he felt the dry cum begin cracking from his movements. He heard Ian chuckle from the bed and decided to ignore it as he reached for his underwear.

The moment Mickey reached down for his underwear he felt something brush against his hole and he almost shrieked. As it was he jumped forward and fell onto the floor as Ian began laughing weakly. Mickey struggled to get his briefs on as he heard Lip groan and say "Ian, that's something I did NOT need to see. EVER!"

Ian's laughs became a little more energetic but Mickey could still hear the strain in them. Despite braking out of his funk and finding life within himself again there was still a ways to go before the red head was fully recovered from his ordeal. Mickey still remembered clearly what Ian had said the night before and he was very worried by the reference to his friends. He had an idea about what Ian meant and it made Mickey nauseous just to think about it. He made sure none of that showed on his face though since it would do nothing except stress his boyfriend out.

Ian's laughs eventually died out and a tense silence began forming. Mickey could see that Ian was already getting a bit tired from the conversation and was pulling himself in a bit. Mickey shot a glance at Lip and wasn't surprised to see that the Ian's brother was staring at Ian with concern. Mickey gestured to the door slightly with his head and Lip got the hint. The two of them slipped out of the room as Ian rolled over and closed his eyes again as if to go back to sleep.

As they left the room Mickey grabbed his shirt and pants and quickly got into them in the hallway once the door was closed. He ignored Lip for the moment, or at least until he heard Lip say "Nice hickey."

Mickey froze and slowly looked at the eldest Gallagher male and said "Please tell me you're kidding."

Lip just gave him a shit eating grin in response and headed downstairs. Mickey closed his eyes for a second and tried to convince himself that Lip was just fucking with him. He knew that this was probably not the case but decided that there was nothing he could do about it and just sucked it up. He followed after Lip and upon reaching the bottom of the steps was surprised to see the entire Gallagher household, minus Frank, in the family room. Debbie and Carl gave him curious looks for a few moments but then turned their attention back to the television. Lip ignored him completely and Fiona was giving him a very peculiar look. Mickey felt himself getting a little uncomfortable under her gaze and this only became worse when she said "You treat Ian right or I will kill you myself Mickey."

From the kitchen Tony said "And I'll help her Milkovitch. So don't mess with Ian. Ever."

Mickey glanced from Tony back to Fiona and then said "As I told Ian last night, I would never do that to my boyfriend."

A smile broke out on Fiona's face as Tony said "Good call Mickey. Now, grab some breakfast. Bring a plate up to Ian and try to get him to eat everything."

Mickey felt himself smiling slightly and proceeded to do exactly as Tony had ordered him.

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><p>Mandy watched as her dad ripped Mickey's room apart. Last night when she had come back from the Gallagher's she had still been in shock. Mickey, her brother, was GAY? And not only that, but he was dating her 'boyfriend'! When she had walked through the door of her house she had still been in a daze and this had caused her to make a HUGE mistake. Her father, in one of his rare sober moments, was sitting on the couch when she got back. He asked her where the fuck she had been and she had numbly replied with "At the Gallaghers."<p>

He had then asked her where the hell Mickey was and she had stayed quite for a few minutes. She eventually mumbled out that Mickey was still there and her dad had given her a weird look. He had asked why the hell his son was with the Gallaghers and she had shocked both of them by yelling "He's screwing Ian!"

As soon as she had said it Mandy regretted each and every word. Her father had gotten really quiet the moment she said it and before she could say anything else he had pointed straight at her room with a look that was quite frightening on his face. Needless to say Mandy had rushed over to her room and shut the door. She had stayed up for a bit, milling around her room, before finally collapsing in bed and falling asleep.

The next morning she had awoken to the sound of furniture being moved about recklessly. She had rushed out of her room after figuring out that the sound was coming from her brother's room to find her father tearing the place apart. He had already dumped out all of Mickey's drawers and was proceeding to rip the bed apart. As he did this her father screamed out "Fucking pansy ass son of mine things he's gonna screw a dude? I raised that little shit better than that!"

Mandy was now watching helplessly as her father continued to destroy her brother's room. While she had in the past resented her brother for many things deep down inside she did love him and she knew he cared for her as well. Now though she could do nothing to help him and in fact she had done everything to screw him over. Their father was homophobic at the best of times and when he drank, well, it just turned so much worse.

Mandy was convinced that her father would keep trashing the place until nothing was left when suddenly her father froze in place. She saw that he was gazing at a floorboard that had popped out of the floor. For a second Mandy had a sense of something awful passing over her and knew that whatever was in that loose floorboard was something her father shouldn't get his hands on. Unfortunately Mandy had no power to stop him and could only watch helplessly as her father bent down and picked a small black notebook out of the opening.

Mandy watched as her father opened the notebook and began flipping through. He began muttering things like "Fucking pansy" and "Pussy" until he got about halfway through. At that point he froze and fro a second she saw her father pale slightly. In the next instant though his fear was replaced by a blind rage. He began tearing the notebook apart and pages started flying everywhere. Mandy let out a tiny yelp of fear and jumped back as this happened and in doing so alerted her father to the fact that she was there.

As her father's eyes focused on her Mandy felt herself become overcome with terror. Her father was looking at her with murder in her eyes and before she knew what she was doing she was already running out of the house. She could hear him staggering to chase after her and this only spurred her into greater speeds as she fled from her father. She made it out the door and was almost on the street when a hand grabbed her from behind and lifted her up. She screamed for a moment before a hand clasped over her mouth and cut off every sound she could make.

Mandy felt tears falling down her face as she was turned around to face her father. His face was scrunched up in a snarl and the alcohol smell wafting from his mouth only increased her fear. For a moment Mandy was convinced she was going to die and was shocked when instead of breaking her neck her father simply said "Tell your gay ass brother that if he ever says a word of what he wrote I will kill him after making him watch me kill that little bitch of his. Got it?"

Mandy nodded rapidly as her father shook her slightly to accentuate his words. When he was satisfied that she would tell Mickey everything he dropped her and staggered back inside. Mandy immediately took off in a run towards the Gallagher house, and did not stop once on the way. She fell several times but jumped right back up and continued running. The fear she had felt before had not diminished in the least and if anything was growing stronger. Whatever had been in that notebook had been enough to bring her dad to a murderous rage and she had to tell Mickey before anything happened.

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><p>Author's Note: For those of you with significant others, Happy Valentine 's Day! And for the rest of you like me spending this day alone I hope you find some enjoyment in this story and have a fun filled Single's Awareness Day!<p>

P.S. Don't expect chapters on Tuesdays, but I _may_ post one now and again depending on my schedule.


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